


Camp Cretaceous?  No, Camp of Death

by demure_raven



Category: Haikyuu!!, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dinosaurs, Alternate Universe - No Volleyball, Dinosaurs, Getting to Know Each Other, Minor Injuries, Minor Original Character(s), Minor Violence, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other: See Story Notes, Summer Camp, Teenagers, the boys go for a fun summer trip and then have to deal with unforeseen pain :D
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:00:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29256348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demure_raven/pseuds/demure_raven
Summary: Six teenagers end up scoring a spot at Camp Cretaceous, a place to learn more about dinosaurs and have the best summer ever.  Hinata Shouyou couldn’t be more excited to learn more about the subject he loves most in the world!That excitement dims a bit after running for his life and surviving against bloodthirsty, genetically-engineered creatures that went extinct naturally millions of years ago.Well, here’s to his most eventful summer.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Everyone, Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio & Tsukishima Kei & Yamaguchi Tadashi, Hinata Shouyou & Karasuno Volleyball Club, Hinata Shouyou & Kozume Kenma, Hinata Shouyou & Nishinoya Yuu, Hinata Shouyou & Sugawara Koushi, Hinata Shouyou & Tsukishima Kei, Hinata Shouyou & Yamaguchi Tadashi, Kageyama Tobio & Sugawara Koushi, Sugawara Koushi & Yamaguchi Tadashi
Kudos: 5





	1. The Beginning of a New Adventure

"NO WAY! MOM, MOM I DID IT I WON THE CONTEST!"

A teenager with a smile brighter than the sun races down the stairs outside of his room, taking them practically five at a time. In his hand it clutches a plain sheet of paper, crumpled around the tight grip of his fist. His head of curly, orange hair bounces as he skips the last several steps, landing in a crouch in his living room. He hardly stays still for more than a millisecond, already darting around the back of the couch to face it. His mother sits on the sofa, eyeing him curiously while turning the volume of the TV down to a soft background noise. The boy practically shoves the paper in his mother's face, vibrating in place with energy. He just can't stay still!

His mother, his sweet, caring mother, allows her eyes to scan the meager information her son had written on the page in messy handwriting. He'd only needed to write down the number to call, where the camp was, and the bare minimum information about how long he'd stay. The teenager waits eagerly for his mother to finish processing his news. It seems like forever before the woman raises her eyes to pierce him with an unreadable gaze.

And suddenly, a huge smile overtakes her face.

"Oh Shouyou, I'm so happy for you!" She cries, opening her arms wide. The boy buries himself in them, laughing loudly. He squeezes his mother, his excitement calming to a bit more of a manageable level when he pulls back to look at his mother's soft eyes. She smiles as she reaches up to ruffle the hair behind his left ear affectionately. "I'm so happy for you. I know how much you wanted to win that contest."

"Thanks, mom." He smiles, a soft curve of his lips. His eyes are sparkling. The teenager finally releases his mother, the energy surging through his body again. He leaps to his feet and does a happy dance, a jaunty song spilling from his lips. His mother laughs at his antics, but the boy can't find it in himself to pout at the comments she makes that poke fun at him. Nothing can dampen his mood.

Hinata Shouyou is going to the new and improved Camp Cretaceous!

{}

His boundless energy doesn't allow him to sit still on his flight. He has headphones on and sits at a window seat, staring out at the scenery as the opening for his favorite show blares in his ears. He alternates between reaching up to adjust his headphones, or tap the armrests, or letting hs leg bounce in place. He can tell the person beside him isn't pleased with the constant motion, but Hinata can't stop moving, full of energy as he is. He casts a quick glance away from the window and toward the interior of the plane, just in time to spot a father carrying a young child down the aisle.

He smiles as he thinks of his own family. After confirming his attendance at the camp, his mother had immediately set about helping him prepare for not only his stay, but his journey to the island, too. Of course, his sister had been ecstatic at the news and had also chipped in. Natsu wasn't as "dorky" (as she so lovingly put it) as her brother, but she knew how important this opportunity was for him. She and Hinata bicker as any siblings do, but they care deeply for one another. And with their father never being present, the two siblings and their mother had only grown to be closer with time. A gentle nudge at his elbow startles him from his thoughts, and Hinata turns. The older man sitting beside him makes a motion at his ear, and the teenager takes the hint to slide his headphones off of his head and around his neck. He's just in time to catch the tail end of an announcement over the system.

_"–pare for landing."_

"Thank you." Hinata thanks the stranger kindly, who nods at him before returning to his phone. The boy turns and watches the clouds pass by, feeling butterflies in his stomach. He presses his face up against the glass, watching as a land mass colored vibrant green with rich flora comes into sight.

_Almost there._

{}

"Welcome to Isla Nublar, campers!" A jubilant voice calls. Hinata bounds away from the docks, approaching a small group that stands off to one side in a loose congregation. His duffel bag weighs on his shoulder, but with the entsusiam with which he moves Hinata hardly feels the extra weight. He sends a wide smile to the man who made the announcement as he nears. "Another one joins us! You're Hinata, right?"

"Yes sir!" Hinata replies, raising his hand to his head in a playful salute. The man chuckles.

"Well, aren't you full of enthusiasm."

"I'm just so excited to be here." The teenager replies, shooting a wide, genuine smile around at everyone. He takes the chance to observe those present while the counselor tells everyone they're waiting on two more people. Said counselor is taller than him ( _but then again everyone is taller than him, hmph_ ), but not by much. He has messy black hair that sticks up at odd angles all over his head, though his strands aren't as gravity-defying as Hinata's are. Perched on his nose are blocky glasses that are rounded at the edges, the clear magnifiers seeming to enlarge his soft brown eyes. Hinata likes the vibe of this man– the soft edges to his eyes and the permanent, soft grin on his lips indicate that he's used to smiling. It's warm.

The boy on Shouyou’s left, however, gives off the opposite aura. He's much, much taller than Hinata, he can see that even from a distance. His dark hair lays flat against his skull, not having much volume. His eyes are a dark blue that don't roam the surroundings as Hinata's do– they remain fixed on a point over the counselor's shoulder. The shorter teenager thinks that whatever he's been staring at must have two holes burned through it by now.

"Hey wow, we're the same height!" At an excited cry, Hinata turns and comes face to face with a boy with bright eyes and a wide smile. His energy is infectious, and Hinata finds himself leaning forward eagerly to greet him.

"No way! Wait, actually...." Hinata leans forward, furrowing his brow. He raises his hand and moves it from his forehead to the boy's. It lines the middle of Hinata's forehead with the other male's hairline. "I think I'm slightly taller than you? Is this what other people feel like when they're taller than me–?"

"No way, we're totally short buddies now." The boy says heartily. He laughs. "Shorties rule supreme together! I'm Nishinoya."

"Hinata!" Said boy responds, smiling brightly. "Did you win the contest too?"

"What, the video game?" Nishinoya asks, cocking his head. "Nope! Takeda's like my uncle, so I got a score at this sweet camp since I helped him plan some of the activities."

"Takeda?" Hinata asks in confusion. Nishinoya gestures to the kind, slightly older man with the nice smile. Then the second part of what the shorter boy said catches up with Shouyou. "Wait, you helped plan some of the things we're gonna do?! Like, the kayaking and the rock climbing?!" The two boys move off to one side when the tall broody teen from earlier shoots them a venomous look at Hinata's loud voice. Said boy steps back from the majority of the group who are standing around, keeping his eyes on his new friend as he opens his mouth to respond. He bumps into something.

"Oi, watch where you're walking." A voice calls from behind him.

"Oh sorry–" Hinata begins, turning around to properly apologize to whoever he'd run into. But, when he looks straight ahead, all he sees is a broad chest. His gaze slowly rises upward, up and up, until he meets gazes with a super tall blond. He gapes. "You're huge!"

"Congratulations on having eyes." The blond deadpans, and Hinata instantly bounds a couple steps back. He feels a bit indignant at the blond's response, but he supposes it was his fault in the first place anyway.

"S-Sorry!" He calls once he retreats an acceptable distance. The stranger raises a brow at him.

"Ah, that'd be Tsukishima." The head counselor– Mr. Takeda– calls, gesturing for the male to come closer. "Yamaguchi wouldn't happen to be with you, would he?"

"Tadashi is here." Tsukishima says, turning to glance over his shoulder. A boy with green hair and a myriad of freckles is approaching, waving to him.

"Sorry Tsukki, I got held up on the boat." He calls sheepishly, sending a polite smile to everyone else. Nishinoya and Hinata gravitate back toward the group, their conversation put on hold for now. "Hello!"

"Looks like everyone's here!" Takeda calls, and Hinata feels his excitement build when the man turns and gestures for the teenagers to follow over his shoulder. "My name is Ittetsu Takeda, and I'll be one of the counselors in charge of you guys here. We have a truck waiting to take you guys to your home away from home, so follow me."

Nishinoya beckons for Hinata to follow, and with his duffel bag secured over his shoulders he does. The two bound up to the front of the pack to walk alongside the counselor.

"Hinata, this is Takeda!" Nishinoya introduces. Takeda nods with a smile at the short teen at the up close and personal introduction. Hinata returns the kind look with a beaming grin of his own. "He's who I helped plan some of our fun days! Him and Ukai, who" Nishinoya glances ahead of them, "is... here?" Takeda nods in confirmation.

"He's waiting at the pickup for us to arrive. It'll be a bumpy ride to the camp, so I've set up a comfortable arrangement in the back and have given Ukai instructions on which route to take. You won't be doing much since it's the first day, we'd rather let you guys get settled in your respective rooms."

"Just what I'd expect from the Head Counselor." Nishinoya teases. Hinata thinks his statement has something to do with the thoroughness with which the older man operates.

"Technically Ukai is the Head Counselor," Takeda explains with a chuckle, "but that man is reckless sometimes, so we share the title. Someone has to keep him and his crazy ideas in check."

"Oi, I know what you're saying, you know!" Ahead stands a man with his arms crossed, a frown on his face. His blond hair is bright in the sun, part of it held back by a thin band that wraps around his head behind his ears. He leans slightly against a red truck with a shiny coat of new paint, but Hinata's eyes begin to sparkle only when he sees the logo painted along the side of the vehicle. 'Camp Cretaceous' it says. The boy is vibrating again.

"Ease up, Ukai," Takeda says laughing. "These are our campers. Meet Keishin Ukai, your other guide for the camp. We don't want to be seen as anything other than mentors for you guys, so you don't need to be so formal with us. Feel free to call me Takeda, and him Ukai."

"Don't go telling them to be informal." The man raises his shoulders, adopting a stern look. "You may call me Head Counselor Ukai, or His Highness Ukai-senpai, if you prefer." The teenagers stare at the man with either shock or incredulity.

Nishinoya and Hinata are the first to break the silence, laughing in loud bouts. Nishinoya doubles over, clutching his sides with tears streaming down his eyes. The orange-haired boy beside him leans back, crossing his arms over his stomach and closing his eyes as a wide grin splits his lips. The rest of the boys are torn between staring at the two cackling campers, the shaking shoulders of Takeda who is suppressing his own laughter, or the satisfied expression of Ukai.

"That's the spirit," Ukai says merrily. Hinata and his friend are still laughing, but their volume has lowered. "What Takeda says– we aren't about formality here. You don't have to be all rigid and 'yes sir!' around us."

"We want to be your friends." Takeda reassures.

"With that being said, your safety is our top priority." Ukai continues, adopting a serious expression. Hinata’s laughter dies down, his stomach hurting from the strain of chuckling too hard. He opts to settle down and gaze at Ukai with a small grin, though he knows what’s being said is important. Ukai looks each of them in the eye before addressing the group as a whole. "We have rules you all need to follow that can't be broken. You get one warning, and then you're sent home, no second chances. This park is advanced and every measure is being taken to ensure your safety, but accidents happen everywhere. Understood?"

Six heads nod in response. Ukai remains silent for another moment before a smirk returns to his face.

"Load up in the back, campers!" He calls, slapping the side of the bed of the truck. "Time to move out."

Takeda moves forward to unlatch the tailgate, allowing for Hinata and the others to climb in. They each lift their bags into the bed before climbing up themselves. Hinata is one of the last to board, and he braces a hand on the tailgate before leaping effortlessly into the back. He ends up settled between Nishinoya and the quiet, angry teenager with dark hair who glared at him earlier. The short teen scoots the tiniest bit closer to Nishinoya towards the back of the truck.

"Feel free to knock on the glass or shout if you need anything!" Takeda chirps, slamming the back of the truck closed. He checks if everyone is okay before circling around to the passenger side and climbing in. The slam of the door closing sends a small shock through Hinata's system, just before the engine rumbles to life and the truck jerks forward. He hums softly to himself as Ukai drives them slowly away from the southern center of the park. Once they hit dirt roads surrounded by grass, they pick up speed. It's a pleasantly smooth ride along the road– Hinata thinks that Takeda made it sound much worse than it actually turns out to be. He glances around at the other teenagers.

"Hey everyone, let's introduce ourselves!" Hinata says suddenly, leaning forward to place is hands on the seat between his legs. He smiles around at everyone. "I'm Shouyou Hinata, and I won the contest to get here!"

"Yeah, you did mention winning the game." Nishinoya says absently, sitting with crossed legs against the front corner of the truckbed. "Well anyway, I'm Nishinoya." He puts two fingers to his temple in a lazy salute. "Yū Nishinoya. They wanted a young person's intput for some of the stuff we'll be doing, and I happened to be there to help out."

"Oh, so you planned some of the activities, Noya?" A boy with silver hair asks. His eyes are probably the friendliest shade of brown Shouyou's ever seen. No, is it the color or the way he smiles that makes him think that? Meh. "Was that the big suprise?"

"Sure was, Suga!" Nishinoya yells, pumping his fists. "This is gonna be so awesome!" Hinata laughs along with the other teen– Suga. He takes the initiative to introduce himself next.

"My name is Koushi Sugawara." He says, offering a semi-awkward wave. Hinata returns the gesture with a jubilant one of his own. The teenager with dark hair, who sits on his right, scoffs at the motion.

"Do you ever sit still, or are you always so annoying?" He says. The remark stings a little, but Hinata is less put-off by it by the disapproving frown the other teen shoots his way that makes his upper lip jut out stupidly. Mr. Tall and Broody (Hinata will die before he ever tells him he called him that) crosses his arms and holds himself in such a way that he seems to have a stick up his ass.

"Well, maybe you need to be more nice!" Hinata huffs, pouting childishly. "Besides, _I_ wanna be here, but you just look like you wanna take a nap and ignore everyone around you. Have fun! We're literally at _the_ Camp Cretaceous!"

"He's got a point, there." Nishinoya chokes out between giggles. A bright grin returns to Hinata's face.

"What's your name?" He attempts to start over. The teen merely glares at him. "Well that settles it, Broody Idiot it is–“

"Tobio Kageyama." The teen says loudly, cutting off Hinata. The latter smiles, a feeling of victory swelling in his chest.

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" He asks, his voice haughty. Kageyama glares at him. Hinata is even further amused when the boy turns to dig through his bag for a moment. He ends up pulling out a small pouch. If Hinata turns his head, he can read the label; the packet is filled with milk. "You just carry around packets of milk?"

"Must be why I'm so much taller than you." Kageyama says with a straight face, sipping at the straw that extends from the pouch. "Idiot." Hinata squints at him.

"Jerk." He shoots back.

"Simpleton."

"Milkboy."

"Shortstack."

"Broody stormcloud."

"Tangerine."

"Idiotyama!"

"You two get along like fire on a house." Nishinoya comments, swiveling his head back and forth as he watches the two trade insults. A fierce blush arises on Hinata's cheeks at the comment. He and Kageyama immediately cease their bickering, but Hinata is mature enough to stick his tongue out at the taller male before turning and facing the other side of the truck again. He hadn't even realized he had turned to face Kageyama while he was brutally destroying him with roasts. _Oh, well._

"Back on our original topic," Sugawara cuts in, rolling his eyes playfully, "what are your names?" He directs the question to the last two people in the truck. The boy with dark green hair shoots an amused look between Kageyama and Hinata before speaking up.

"I'm Tadashi Yamaguchi." He says. He nudges an elbow into the taller blond's side. Even in the truck, Hinata can see how tall he is. He shoots a quick glance between Kageyama and the other boy, and notices that the latter seems to be slightly taller. Hinata sends a shit-eating grin at Kageyama, who seems to understand what the shorter male has noticed, too. He opens his mouth to probably insult Hinata again, before the blond states his name.

"Kei Tsukishima."

"Awesome, now we're all camp buddies!" Nishinoya says, giving everyone a thumbs-up. Hinata seriously loves this guy's energy. He feeds on it, and is leaning back with a smile as he observes the truck's surroundings. They've come quite a ways from the park; now, they are surrounded on all sides by lush, thriving forest life. The path the truck follows is well-established, but the trees arc overhead in thick clusters of leaves, and ferns line the path closely. The setup of the greenery seems intentional, despite how natural it all looks. Hinata releases a gasp of awe at a small cluster of climbing flowers that wind around the trunk of one of the trees they pass. Everything is just so _green_.

"How did they get this place to look so beautiful?" He asks aloud, directing the question to no one. To his dismay, Kageyama speaks up.

"I thought you loved everything about this place and knew all about it." The teen comments off-handedly. Hinata shoots him a deadpan look.

"Something about how the island is built." Nishinoya comments, waving his hand. "I didn't really pay apart to that part of the brochure."

"It makes sense." Yamaguchi speaks up, leaning back against the inside of the truck's bed. "To build this place, they must have had to make sure the environment was perfect before bringing the dinosaurs in."

"Nothing would have been able to survive, otherwise." Sugawara ponders, nodding along to Yamaguchi's explanation. Hinata leans back, bending slightly over the outside of the truck to see an open clearing along the path ahead. He gapes as his gaze catches something large in the trees.

"Oh, woah," Hinata mumbles. The others turn to see what he's looking at. "It that a treehouse?"

The truck pulls into the large, circular path of smooth dirt and slows to a stop. Hinata's gaze remains on the large treehouse-looking structure that winds around a few of the largest trees. A wide ladder leads up to it. The boy is startled when one of the truck doors slams shut, and Ukai emerges around the back with a knowing grin on his face.

"Welcome to base camp!" He calls unnecessarily loud, opening the tailgate. He points up to the treehouse. "That'll be where you sleep." Takeda joins his fellow counselor, taking in the looks of absolute shock with a small smile.

"Let's get you unpacked."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata and Kageyama are beginning to feel competitive, the campers get settled, and everyone learns how much of a morning person Hinata is (or isn't)!

It takes no time for all of the teenagers– even the stone-faced Tsukishima, Hinata notices– to scramble out of the truck. They quickly begin to drop their bags into one pile off to the side, each taking little care to keep their belongings in some semblance of order. Ukai grunts as he drags a red cooler from the back, and Takeda follows him as the two approach the group of teenagers. The shorter counselor carries a loosely-wrapped object.

"No one told me it would be in a tree!" Nishinoya exclaims, staring up at the house with sparkles in his eyes.

"Suprise, Noya." Takeda says drily, chuckling. "We couldn't let you know _everything_ that's going on, could we?" Ukai drags the medium-sized cooler to where the bags are and leaves it next to them. Takeda deposits whatever he's carrying on top of it. "This is where you guys will be staying– you have to climb a ladder to get up to it, but there's a slide to get down easily. There's also a small lift you can use to transport items up to the loft."

"We'll need a volunteer to be up top, though, so they can grab the bags before sending it back down." Ukai says gesturing to a small, square-shaped hole in the floor of the treehouse where the lift would go through. Hinata wants so _badly_ to see the interior of it, and so he eagerly raises his hand and offers to go up first. For some reason, Hinata can't resist the sudden urge to turn to Kageyama with a challenging grin. The boy returns it with a raised eyebrow, although Hinata can see the glint of a knowing fire in his eyes.

"Race you to the top!"

And then he's off. He can hear a low curse and pounding footsteps behind him, but Hinata is too busy scrambling for the bottom rungs of the ladder. They are made of smooth wood lined up evenly in wide planks. Hinata is sure he's beating out Kageyama by a mile, but he sees movement out of the corner of his eye and curses to himself. He attempts to stretch his arms farther and push more power through his legs to pick up his pace. Sweat gathers on his brow, and his breathing labors, but Hinata doesn't slow his pace. He's normally used to way more intense training exercises than climbing a ladder, but it's climbing a ladder at top speed in a new elevation that is getting to the boy. He can't feel the ache in his legs at all; it's a good sign that his leg days have been paying off, he thinks absently. The top of the ladder is approaching, faster and faster, and Hinata can see Kageyama more clearly out of the corner of his eyes. They're neck and neck.

"Don't fall, you two!" Ukai's voice calls from somewhere below them. Hinata doesn't respond, and neither does his competitor. The top is within reach, now. Hinata takes a chance and skips two ladder rungs, reaching up to touch the top. He manages to extend his elbow up onto the platform, and he slaps his palm on the even wood– at the same exact time as Kageyama does. Hinata pulls himself up, groaning softly. He turns himself around and plops down on his back, allowing his body to rest for a moment. His knees hang over the ladder, dangling down the opening he had just came through. Hinata closes his eyes and listens to the sound of Kageyama shuffling slightly further on the platform before he lays down, too.

"I totally won that." Hinata says breathlessly. Beside him, Kageyama grunts in disagreement.

"No you didn't." He retorts, not moving from his spot.

"It was a tie!" Sugawara's helpful voice drifts up to them, and Hinata wonders if he actually heard them or if he just wanted to offer his own helpful two-sense. He has a sneaking suspicion that it's the second option.

"Well then," Kageyama offers, a hint of smugness in his tone that Hinata does not like, "that means I won since you got a head start."

"Oh boo-hoo, it was totally even, you have longer legs than me!" Hinata pouts, finally levering himself into a sitting position. He makes sure to keep his balance, but leans forward slightly to look down at the others several meters below. All of them are still standing around in the exact places they were, but the only ones looks up at them are Ukai and Sugawara. When Ukai sees him, he grins widely up at the teenager.

"Hey Hinata, start raising the lift, will you? The control panel should be near where the lift opening is!" The man calls, and Hinata bobs his head with a thumbs up before turning around. He swings his legs up onto the platform, getting to his feet with no problem. When he turns, Kageyama is sitting up, leaning his weight back on his hands. He isn't breathing heavily at all– it makes Hinata wonder if he just recovered fast or if he's raced up ladders before. Shrugging to himself, the boy with orange hair extends a hand to the taller boy. When Kageyama just stares at the offering, Shouyou offers him a smile.

"Thanks for the race, Kageyama." He says. The taller teen rolls his eyes, reaching up to take Hinata's hand and pull himself to his feet. The shorter male isn't fooled by his unaffected demeanor; he can see a small smirk pulling at the edge of his lips. When Kageyama notices Hinata's knowing grin, he wipes the look off his face and replaces it with a small scowl.

"Whatever, dumbass."

Hinata lets the insult roll off of him, his smile never wavering. He turns away from the taller boy and spies a smaller opening in the dark oak flooring that's set off to one side. It's smaller than the opening the ladder leads to; this one is only five feet by three feet, just wide enough to allow something of rectangular shape to pull through. Figuring this must be for the lift, Hinata moves toward it, eyeing a small, raised panel that's set off to one side. There are a few buttons on the surface, but they're all clearly labeled with both colors and symbols. He looks at every button and opts to push the green arrow facing up.

Beside him, Kageyama bends forward slightly to glance down through the opening as a rope hanging begins to move. Hinata looks up, noticing a round pulley that pulls the rope upwards.

"Attaboy!" Ukai calls from below. The teenager can't see him past the small wooden platform that's being levered up at a moderate pace.

"I guess they wanted to make it easy to get our bags up here, at least." Kageyama comments, standing up straight again as the two boys wait for the lift to reach them. "I wonder if that thing can carry a person, though." When the platform arrives at the top, four of the six bags are stacked on it. The two work together to unload them before Hinata presses the button to send the now-empty platform back down. He marvels slightly at the pulley system once more, noticing how it doesn't even make a sound.

"I bet it can," Hinata says confidently. "I don't know how strong it is, but if it can handle four of our bags it can probably handle even more weight. Ukai probably just doesn't want to risk breaking it." Kageyama shoots Hinata an appraising glance, looking down at his feet before raising his eyes to his head.

"Maybe your weight since you're so short."

"What did you say, beanpole–?" Hinata growls indignantly.

"I can hear your shouting from down here!" Ukai shouts loudly. Hinata cuts himself off. "Cut it out, you two! Hinata, pull the lift up again, the rest of us are coming up now!"

"O-Okay!" The teen responds, hastily reaching forward to press the 'up' button. He turns and stares at Kageyama for a moment for _hmph_ ing, snapping his head to the side. When the lift reaches them for the second time, Hinata and Kageyama unload the other two duffel bags, the red cooler, and the surprise package Takeda had been holding earlier. Hinata takes the chance to test the swaying wooden platform with his foot. It's pretty secure, being surrounded by the sturdier walls of the main floor, so it doesn't swing widely when Hinata pushes it slightly. When he pushes his foot down on the surface, it doesn't give. The boy shoots a curious look at Kageyama, as if to ask _'what do you think?'_ When Kageyama shrugs, Hinata figures the other teen hasn't noticed anything alarming. He puts a little more of his weight down, and is met with the slight _creak_ of the platform.

"Hey, don't do that!" A hand grabs at his bicep, and Hinata gasps at the sudden contact as he's pulled backward. He glances back to see Takeda at his side, glancing at him in worry.

"T-Takeda?" He asks uncertainly.

"We only use the lift for bags because it can't carry too much weight without stalling." Takeda explains gently. He lets go of the teenager's arm, moving closer to the platform to point up at the pulley. "It was built out of the strongest material on the island, so theoretically it could hold the weight of a person, but the pulley wouldn't move because of the capacity limit."

"What he said." Ukai says lazily, coming up to the two. "There wasn't even going to be a lift when this place was built, but the bosses thought it would be easier to lug up supplies during the construction. It just stuck for future use too, I guess."

"Wow, this place is amazing!" Sugawara exclaims, smiling widely. Hinata turns to see him, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi have reached the loft and are now spreading out further into the room. The shortest teen finally takes a look at the place.

The main room is, in a word, _grand_. The platform he's standing on, although spacious, is set aside from and a step above what appears to be an open living room. Windows line the walls from floor to ceiling, around three-fourths of the entire space. Soft couches and dark-stained chairs are spread about in a central lounge area, some with blankets draped over the backs of them. There is a high bar raised off the light flooring places against the one wall without windows. What looks like a cooking area is behind it, and Hinata spies a fridge and cabinets lining the space from his angle. To his amusement, he spots a ping pong table on the far side of the room, which seems a bit out of place against the simplicity of the decorating. There are plants everywhere, medium-sized green ferns and small potted flowers: just enough to liven up the space but not enough to feel like taking care of them would be a burden. Beyond the large glass walls is a wide terrace that can be reached through sliding doors. It's a nice floor plan, and there isn't much else that takes up space. Hinata likes it. He spies Takeda leading Yamaguchi and Tsukishima through a door past the ping pong table, but since no one else follows he turns back to face the room at large. He ends up wandering closer to Sugawara.

"It's amazing that we get to stay here!" Hinata exclaims, drawing the older male's attention. Sugawara smiles.

"Isn't it?" He responds softly, his eyes tracing the walls up to the ceiling. "They really put a lot of effort into a summer camp. I wonder if they'll use this for future campers, too."

"I dunno, but we get bragging rights for staying here first~!" Hinata sing-songs, stretching his arms out wide. He begins to spin in circles, his system nearly exploding with pent-up energy. He needs to _move_. In the middle of his third lap around the room, Ukai's chuckles cause the teen to stop and tilt his head questioningly at the man.

"You sure are full of energy." He remarks, cocking his hip and setting a hand against the waistband of his pants. Hinata laughs while scratching his cheek with the tip of one finger.

"D-Don't mind it! If it's a bother–"

"No no, kid," Ukai soothes, stepping forward just so he can reach Hinata to ruffle his hair. The boy's heart glows at the action, though he pours outwardly. "It's endearing, really. You're gonna have lots of fun at this camp, especially with the activities we've got planned I can totally tell." At the prospect of dinosaurs, Shouyou's eyes light up.

"Yes!" He squeals, clenching his fists to his chest and bouncing in place excitedly. "I've wanted to come here for so long now! What will we be doing tomorrow?" He gasps. "Will we be able to see a dinosaur _today?!_ "

"Slow down there, ginger." Ukai laughs loudly, the force of the sound coming all the way from his stomach. Hinata spies Kageyama approaching him and Ukai as the older man explains patiently. "Yeah, we were planning a small excursion today but the boats ended up arriving later than we planned, so we knew by the time we got you guys here it'd be sunset already." To prove his point, Ukai points toward the window. Being so enraptured with the room, Hinata hadn't noticed it before, but boy does he now.

It seems like the sun's almost done setting. The teenager can't see the horizon properly, but he sees the sky beyond the tips of some of the trees– a vast expanse of purples, pinks, golds, and oranges paint the sky, basking it in warmth one last time before giving way to the darkening blue of the night. Hinata's eyes widen, his breathing softening at the pretty canvas.

"Wow," he breathes, mostly to himself. Beside him, Sugawara nods in silent agreement.

"Case in point," Ukai breaks the calm silence as softly as he can. "So, no dinosaurs for today. _But_ you can get to know this place and Takeda even brought for you–"

Ukai grins, tapping his fingers on his thoughts dramatically.

"– drumroll please, ingredients for a Hotpot!"

"Awesome!" Hinata does his happy dance, smiling so wide his eyes look closed.

"Oh, is that what Takeda brought?" Sugawara asks.

"No way, there's so much meat!" Someone cries from behind Ukai. Hinata leans slightly to the side to peer around the older man, and a toothy grin splits his face. Nishinoya appears to have been the one to shout, and he crouches next to the cooler with a flap of the package on top of it pulled open.

"Hey Noya, try to keep your hands out of the surprise!" A flustered Takeda stumbles back into the room, waving his arms in a controlled state of panic. Sugawara and Hinata watch on in amusement as the counselor drags Nishinoya away from the food by his collar. Said teen whines as he makes grabby-hands toward the package.

"S' alright Takeda," Ukai says, waving his hand flippantly, "I let 'em in on it a minute ago."

"Still!" Takeda huffs, his cheeks puffing in a decidedly not-manly way. Hinata privately thinks he looks a bit like a chipmunk. Nishinoya gazes at Takeda's expression for a moment before turning to Sugawara and Hinata. With his back turned to the older male, he makes the same face as him, his cheeks even more round. Hinata has to press his knuckles to his mouth to prevent his laughter from escaping. "Noya, keep your mutts off, that food's for everyone!"

"Hey, it's not like I was gonna steal it or anything!" Nishinoya cries indignantly, crossing his arms as he turns to glare up at the counselor. "I just wanted to take a peak."

"Peak at what?" Yamaguchi's voice asks, and Hinata notices that he and Tsukishima have appeared from the back room. Tsukishima closes the door behind them while Yamaguchi approaches the group with a confused tilt of his head. Hinata points to the open package with a bright expression.

"We're having a hotpot!" He exclaims. Yamaguchi shares a look with the tall blond before both move forward eagerly.

No one is really in a rush to get the food going; they all chip in, moving around one another in fluid motions. Takeda and Ukai move to set up a small fire out on the terrace where they can cook the meat, leaving the glass doors wide open behind them. Tsukishima and Sugawara dodge each other while setting up the table outdoors after a short conversation, and Yamaguchi shuffles through both the comfortably-sized fridge in the kitchen as well as the cooler Ukai brought to stack drinks at the bar. Kageyama seems to be the only one who is preparing the food that can be cooked inside the kitchen; Hinata is briefly impressed by his skill. He works efficiently and quickly, his hands moving swiftly to gather the things he needs. Hinata works with Nishinoya to run between all the groups, grabbing the occasional spice for the counselors or helping Kageyama without getting in the way. Eventually, everyone is settled outside in a loose circular on raised wooden benches.

The sun has fully set by the time everything is prepared, though the sky isn't too dark for them to only be able to see by the firelight. The teenagers waste no time loading their plates. Hinata has a brief but fierce battle with Kageyama over a large slice of meet. Their chopsticks are crossed in a locked stalemate when Tsukishima dives in to steal the food with a smug look at them. Hinata and Kageyama put aside their rivalry then to team up and sneakily steal things from the blond's side of the firepit. Yamaguchi fends them off a few times, and Nishinoya swoops in to defend Hinata's honor, wielding one of his chopsticks as if it's a sword. Sugawara laughs when the short male manages to fumble so bad one of the wooden utensils ends up _in_ the firepit.

"Alright you guys, settle down," Ukai says, chuckling at the group's antics. "Takeda and I won't stay much longer, but we expect you all to get some sleep tonight." For whatever reason, Hinata feels like the order is directed at him. When he tilts his head at Ukai, the older man merely blinks at him. Hinata feels like he's being attacked.

Eventually, everyone is settled back inside. Hinata is surprised to learn that there are blinds at the top of each of the window-walls that fall down to conceal the inside of the loft at night. He helps the others put out the fire and clean the dinner, and the energy buzzing in his system is dimming a bit, replaced by a quiet sleepiness that comes with a long day full of him bouncing around. He doesn't usually crash at night, but getting to a new place and dealing with a slight time difference does that to a person, he supposes. When the two men move to the ladder, the teenagers all watch them go from near the wooden bar counter.

"We'll see you all in the morning!" Takeda chirps, waving merrily. He lowers himself down the ladder, his head disappearing from sight. Ukai moves to follow him.

"Night Takeda, night Ukai!" Hinata responds with what he feels is the last of his peppiness for the night. The two counselors give their final greetings before leaving. After a moment, Hinata hears the roar of the truck engine and moves forward to glance down through the gap at the forest floor. The two drive off into the night, and the boy yawns while stretching his arms over his head.

"Bunkroom's this way." Tsukishima says to the group at large, before he and Yamaguchi disappear through the door they went into before dinner. Nishinoya follows after them first, followed by Sugawara, Kageyama, and Hinata. This room is a bit smaller than the main one, but not overly so. Three bunk-beds line the three sides of the walls that aren't connected to the living room, centered on each stretch. A separate door rests in the far corner, and Hinata tilts his head at it in question.

"That's the closer bathroom," Yamaguchi explains. "There's another one on the other side of the kitchen through the main room." The boy with dark green hair wanders over the the bed set on the left wall that is closest to the bathroom. It's clear he and Tsukishima have already claimed that one, so Hinata bounds to the bunk straight ahead, scrambling up the small ladder that's set at the end of it to reach the top bed. He smiles over the small railing to Sugawara and Nishinoya, who both grin at him in amusement. Kageyama sighs, but moves to claim the bed beneath Hinata's while the other two move off to the right.

"I hope you don't move around in your sleep," Kageyama comment off-handedly, "because I _will_ hit you if you wake me up."

"Ah shut it, Grumpyama." Hinata grumbles, burying his face in the soft blanket. He yawns again, and drifts to sleep.

{}

Let it be know that Hinata... is not a morning person. When the slight sound of someone moving about rouses him the next morning, he groans, long and low, as he wakes.

"Morning, sleepy," a voice says from a few feet away. Hinata rolls over and squints his eyes over the railing of his bed. He sees Sugawara looking up at him with a raised eyebrow and a small smile.

"Suga?" Hinata mumbles, lowering his head to rub his eyes roughly.

"Mm," the older teen replies, watching while the orange head of hair shuffles around before the boy slowly climbs down the ladder. "Everyone else is already awake and out in the kitchen. Ukai and Takeda just pulled up a moment ago."

"Huh," Hinata says absent-mindedly. He nods once, twice, and then his eyes pop open. "Huh?!"

"Yep," Sugawara smiles, raising a hand to ruffle Hinata's hair. "Thought I'd at least give you a fighting chance to get dressed before breakfast." The silver-haired male turns and moves toward the door leading to the living area. "See you out there in a bit!" He calls cheerily over his shoulder. Hinata watches him go with his jaw practically on the floor, before he gets his wits about him. He finds his duffle bag at the end of the bunkbed, tucked underneath the ladder. Shuffling through the contents with haste. Hinata settles on a light t-shirt and a pair of comfortable jeans. He stumbles to the bathroom, racing through his morning routine. He spends the longest time on his hair, trying and (mostly failing) to tame it. He doesn't even glance in the mirror before darting out and shoving his bag back out of the way. The boy turns and races out of the bedroom.

"I'M HERE!" He shouts, bursting through the door. The entire room's attention turns to him, and he lets himself breathe while slowing his pace to a manageable walk. Sugawara stands next to the bar counter, with Nishinoya sitting in the seat closest to him. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi sit next to each other on Nishinoya's other side, and Kageyama, like Sugawara, stands on the opposite side from where everyone is sitting. The t-shirt he wears is dark and does nothing to cover his forearms that take up space on the counter as he leans forward. Hinata tries to act nonchalant as he strides forward to grab one of the wrapped packages that lie on the counter. They look like burritos, and Hinata hastily unwraps one and takes a huge bite, reveling in the warmth of the food before a small _click_ goes off.

Hinata glances over and sees Nishinoya looking at him with the widest shit-eating grin on his face and a phone pointed at him. Tsukishima's face is slightly lowered, his eyes hidden by his glasses, and Yamaguchi leans into his side, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Sugawara is leaning forward, covering his mouth with his hand. Kageyama is just openly laughing now, his eyes closed and head tilted back. Hinata flushes a bit under all of the weird attention being sent his way.

"Wh-What?" He asks self-consciously. In response, Nishinoya turns his phone to face him, and Hinata's cheeks erupt in a fierce blush. It looks like he had taken a picture of him mid burrito-bite, his eyes closed and mouth clamped around the breakfast food. The main focus of the camera, however, is Hinata's hair.

It seems he wasn't as successful in taming it as he though he was. The static electricity of his shirt must have affected his hair more than he thought, because Hinata can see faint strands sticking up all over his head. He puts his burrito down and smooths his hand over his hair quickly, trying to pat it down and make it look less like he had just swam through a pit of balloons.

"Also..." Sugawara says, composing himself as much as he can, "your, uh– your shirt is on inside-out."

The room erupts into laughter again as Hinata lets out a shrill sound of embarrassment.

"Mornin' campers!" Ukai's voice booms through the room, and the smiling teenagers turn to see him and Takeda emerging from down below. They approach the bar, and the blond man spots their breakfast piled on the counter

"Snacking on burritos first, I see. Good choice." The man grins wolfishly. He stops suddenly, squinting at Hinata. "Is there any specific reason your shirt is one inside-out?"

"No!" Hinata cries, leaping to his feet and racing back to the room with red-stained cheeks. His lips are pursed in embarrassment, and as soon as he's out of sight of the others he wastes no time fixing his appearance. This time, he takes a few extra moments to comb through his mess of hair, staring at himself in the mirror. It doesn't take long for the realization to hit him– no, he's _not_ a morning person, and yes, he _is_ slightly offended by the teasing of the other teenagers, but his heart soars. Today he gets to see dinosaurs! Actual, living breathing _dinosaurs_!

With an effortless smile on his face, Hinata bounds back into the main room, excitement buzzing in his veins. Ukai shoots him a vastly amused look, but Takeda only waits patiently for Hinata to reclaim his burrito and begin eating. He claps his hands together softly, the sound it produces intentionally soft.

"Alright everyone!" The man says brightly, "Today we'll be visiting the genetics lab!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclaimer, I have a direction for where I want this to go and what I want the characters to go through, but it's always building up to the first "main event" that gets me. After that things tend to run more smoothly because I can fill in the gaps easier. The first few chapters will be slow, but bear with me if you want to see the other characters show up and everyone experience some trauma. God only knows how fanfic readers _love_ trauma (me included mwahaha.) Anywho, hope you stick around. Happy reading!


	3. The Genetics Lab

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The campers get to visit the genetics labs, and Hinata becomes a dad? He hears something strange from Takeda, and wonders if something is wrong.

The jeep trundles steadily along the dirt road, jerking against a bump or small pothole every now and then. The truck from the other day had been replaced with this– a camp jeep with an extended bed where the six teenagers sit. Hinata sits back and lets the wind blow through his hair, staring up at the clear sky. He can't keep the goofy smile off his face as he thinks about what the day has in store for him.

"You look weird, sitting there and smiling at nothing," Tsukishima comments suddenly, and Hinata snaps his gaze down to meet the boy's eyes. There is a distinctly knowing look in his eyes, as if he knows _exactly_ what to say to push Hinata's buttons.

"I'm just excited! We're going to the genetics lab, the place where dinosaurs are actually made and hatched and then watched before they're put on the island!" Hinata practically shouts. "Of course I'm excited!"

"You... have an endless amount of energy, don't you." Kageyama says, staring at Hinata as if he's some mythical creature. It makes the boy's skin itch when the dark-haired male looks without blinking.

"W-Well yeah! I mean, dinosaurs, Kageyama! _Dinosaurs_."

A small white building appears amongst the brush up ahead. Hinata practically leaps to his feet, anchored only by his grip on the side of the jeep and by Nishinoya's hand on his wrist. It's not very big, compared to everything else they've seen at the park, but Hinata is entranced all the same as their vehicle approaches one side of the building and parks. This area definitely isn't meant for public access; Hinata has memorized the layout of the park inside and out, but his knowledge only extended to paper before he actually came here. Seeing it in person, Shouyou realizes this place isn't on the map at all- not only that, but it's hidden by thick foliage and set far from the park and fields where the dinosaurs were. Hinata jumps over the side of the back, not even waiting for the counselors to unlatch the tailgate. The others are more patient, but he is practically running circles around them all in his excitement.

"Alright everyone, stay together when we're in the lab, please." Takeda announces, waiting for everyone to gather outside before standing in front of the teenagers with Ukai by his side. "We may have gotten permission for this tour, but we need to be respectful of the doctor's space."

"You can all thank Ittetsu here for even getting you in this place," Ukai says with a grin, leaning to the side to ruffle the other man's hair roughly. Takeda squawks, batting him away. "He practically had to camp in the office for a week for the doctor to even acknowledge him!"

"H-Hey now, they don't need to know that! Anyway, l-let's all go in now!"

Hinata bows to Takeda, offering a smile at the older man.

"Thank you, Counselor Takeda!" He says sincerely. The boy doesn't stick around long enough to see the reddening of the older male's entire face, because he's skipping off toward the double glass doors that lead into the facility. It doesn't take long for everyone to catch up, because Shouyou figures he shouldn't actually enter the building without an adult to confirm he could actually be there. Ukai opens the door, beckoning everyone through, and Hinata and the others are lead through a small series of hallways until they reach the central room.

It's sterile, all shining metal and clean tile. People in long, white lab coats bustle about, though not in great volumes. There is a large, circular column in the middle of the room with rectangular opening lining the sides that look like storage units for something. Hinata runs up to them, peering into the small cubicles with sparkling eyes.

"Not just anyone can come here, you know." Takeda says from over Hinata's shoulder. The older man sees the teen's excitement as an endearing trait. "This place offers a rare window for you to look into the park's inner workings."

"Ah, Suguro!" Ukai calls, waving at an approaching man. Hinata is a bit startled by the sharpness in his tone; he turns and see that the counselor's smile is all teeth, and his eyes aren't friendly. The boy feels like the man wearing the lab coat, whom Ukai addressed, is someone he should be one guard around. Call it gut instinct, but Hinata knows by now to trust it. "We're here for the tour, Camp Cretaceous. Boss man should have mentioned it to you."

"Mm, he did mention something about that," the young man clips back, eyes scanning the small group. His appearance is almost... snake-like. His eyes are beady, he has a long face, and his dark green hair is slicked back on one side and neatly cropped. Hinata instantly doesn't like him, he gets the feeling the older man is looking down on him. "Well, so sorry to say that I don't have time to babysit children, Ukai. Mr. Washijo has accelerated the time line for our next project."

"Hey, you don't look that much older than us!" Hinata cries without thinking. It draws the scientist's condescending gaze to him.

"Age doesn't put a limit on success, little boy." The man replies with a sharp smile. Hinata feels shivers up his spine, and he unconsciously moves a little behind Kageyama to shield himself. The taller teen doesn't say anything, scoffing instead at the shorter male's apparent childishness. "Nevertheless, I can't waste time on your little field trip."

"Ah, I totally get it!" Ukai booms loudly, the smile on his face growing. Hinata has a sneaking suspicion he's planning something, because his smile seems a bit more genuine. "Understandable, you're a busy man, after all! Well, we've got the morning blocked off for the campers to explore this place, so we'll just let the kids wander around on their own, able to touch anything they want...." He trails off, leaving his implications clear. Hinata wants to laugh at the sudden and abrupt look of horror Suguro adopts.

"Fine! Fine," he replies, grinding his teeth together. He turns sharply on his heel, grumbling something under his breath. "Follow me."

The group moves forward, and Hinata casts a quick glance at Ukai and Takeda at the back of the group. Ukai appears to have slung an arm over his companion's shoulder, sending him a reassuring smile.

"I've never liked him...." Takeda mutters, just loud enough for Shouyou to catch it.

"Hey, I wasn't just going to let your hard work go to waste, Ittetsu," Ukai responds, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly. "I know Washijo is difficult, but even he isn't as much of a dick as this guy is."

Hinata chokes on laughter, waving off Kageyama's curious glance. When he returns his attention forward, he gapes at the wall of containers they are approaching.

"Is that an eyeball?!" He shrieks, darting forward to press his nose against the glass. And yes, indeed, there appears to be an eye just... floating suspended in a clear liquid. Buzzing with quesitons, Hinata moves and flashes down the wall, somehow managing to take in all the specimens but staying leagues ahead of the whole group. "You guys use DNA splicing to bring back dinosaurs?" He asks, finally allowing the slimy snake man to catch up to him.

"I'd like to say that creating a dinosaur takes TIME-" the man replies, " _t_ , technology, _i_ , ingenuity, and _m-e_ , me." Suguro says smugly, a smirk twisting his features. Hinata leans closer to Nishinoya to whisper,

"This guy certainly isn't humble." At his observation, the shorter nods. He shoots a glance around them before leaning even further, a devious look on his face.

"Distract him for me, will ya?" He says, and Hinata just... goes with it. A woman is pushing a cart past with a silver tray on top that holds some sort of gooey grey stuff. Hinata points at the contents while racing around it, forcing the woman to stop in her tracks.

"What are those?" Hinata asks loudly, bouncing up and down in place.

"Treefrog DNA." Suguro answers, staring at Hinata as if surprised by his sudden shining aura of excitement. _Sunshine boy_. Shouyou spins and darts around the group, drawing their gazes from Nishinoya, who sneaks off quietly.

"And that, that- what's that?" Hinata questions, pointing to a small pile of while bones.

"Siberian Mammoth remains, extrac-" Suguro continues, though he is cut off again.

"You guys look," Takeda calls, attracting everyone's attention quickly, "this egg is hatching!" He's a short ways away from the teenagers, standing at an incubator set against one wall. Hinata is the first one by his side, peering down at the small cluster of eggs nestled in the machine. It's shaped in a semi-circle, with the eggs resting on a flat surface and protected by a circular dome of glass. A small red light casts a warm glow over the specimens: one of which, Hinata notices, is shaking and trembling. The glass dome opens halfway, allowing Hinata to lower his face along the side of the machine until he's eye-level with the egg.

"That's impossible," Suguro's distant voice reaches the boy's ears, but he doesn't pay any special attention to it, focused as he is on the miracle in front of him. "That ankylosaurus has only been incubating for ten weeks." There's a series of clicks, before the man falls quiet. "I will be back shortly, keep an eye on the asset." Footsteps fade away.

" _A dinosaur is actually hatching?!_ " Hinata says loudly, still right next to the incubator. Ukai slaps the back of his head firmly, hissing in a firm but quiet tone,

"Quiet down squirt, you might bust the thing's eardrums."

Hinata feels the heat of people gathering around them, but doesn't tear his eyes away from the egg. Something heavy settles against his back, and Hinata huffs as he shakes the weight off. Before him, the egg trembles and falls onto its side. He has to resist the urge to reach forward and right it again, though his fingers start twitching from the temptation. _Crack_. A small paw breaks through the hard shell, shiny with slime as it waves about. Hinata holds his breath. The rest of the shell breaks quickly after that, though there is a stubborn piece that clings to its head and neck. Hinata's eyes are wide as saucers, looking at the wide backplate with small white bumps where spikes will grow one day, the stout legs, and the long tail with a slight bump at the end.

"An actual ankylosaurus!" He whispers, actual sparkles dancing around his head. The baby stands on all fours, raising its front legs to paw fruitlessly at the egg shell still stubbornly clinging to its forehead. It rolls on its back, momentum carrying it rapidly toward the edge of the incubator. "Eep!" Hinata uses his hand as a barrier to stop the tiny dinosaur from rolling off the edge. It hits his hand with a gentle collision, hurting neither party. With gentle fingers, the boy pries the egg shell off, allowing the creature's face to finally see the light.

"Aww," Hinata coos, smiling softly at the baby. Seeing it in its entirety, crouching in place as if tired after a long journey, is a moment for him. Its coat is a dark brown with orange highlights, little white caps on each of his toes where his claws will eventually grow. His nose is yellow, and Hinata's heart glows as the small animal stares up into his eyes. "I can't believe this...."

"One of his head bumps is bigger than the other," Kageyama notes. The boy doesn't touch the dinosaur, but he does reach forward to point at one of the two bumps that are set equidistant on the creature's head. When Kageyama's fingers move close, it snaps at him pathetically, but it still startles him. Hinata laughs.

"Look, he already knows who to snap at!" He says gently, smiling at the creature and resting his head on his hands at the edge of the incubator. He offers one of his own fingers to the dinosaur, who merely rubs its body against his hand. He preens, cupping his hand around his tiny friend.

"Aw, she's so tiny!" Sugawara says happily, waving a finger at the creature cheerfully.

"It looks like it's her... left one, that's rounder." Takeda offers, adjusting his glasses.

"Asymmetry? In my lab?" Suguro cuts in, storming over suddenly. He sounds angry: almost disgusted. Hinata feels a sudden defensiveness overcoming him, and he pins the approaching man with his gaze as he scoops the ankylosaurus into his hand. He doesn't allow the dinosaur to leave the circle of heat completely, but he does keep it nestled in his palm. His body maneuvers to face the scientist partially, and the older man stops, shock painting his features at the narrowed eyes of the boy.

His stance, his aura, his eyes... they all scream at him to back off. Suguro doesn't know what possesses him to actually stop and not approach the group any further for a moment.

"What's so wrong with her being different?" Hinata asks coldly, staring at the doctor with an unblinking gaze.

"N... Nothing's wrong with that." He says with a wavering voice.

"Well, it sure sounded like you didn't like it." Nishinoya's voice cuts in. Hinata is startled from his trance when he notices that the shortest teenager has rejoined the group. Suguro stares at Nishinoya, a dark look in his eyes.

"Where have you been?" He practically growls, stepping forward once again. Nishinoya shrugs with an easy grin on his face.

"Bathroom," he replies sweetly, batting his eyes at Suguro. Hinata turns his back to the man when he feels the ankylosaurus squirm in his hand, and opts to pat the creature gently on its head to calm it. It settles fairly quickly, much to the adoring sounds of Yamaguchi and Sugawara. "Man, I'm gone for two minutes and you manage to adopt a dinosaur?" Nishinoya crows, laughing. "You really are something, Hinata."

The ginger blushes.

"I can't believe how small she is compared to the skeletons we see of the adults," Kageyama comments, tilting his head down at the dinosaur in a mini stare-off.

"But she won't stay that way for long," Ukai says, prompting the doctor to speak up.

"That's the idea; all the dinosaurs go through an accelerated growth cycle. They're supposed to incubate for thirteen weeks with no change, and their growth to adult size doesn't occur at the normal rate for animals. It's a rapid state of enhancement." Suguro is looking at Nishinoya as he speaks, a suspicious glint in his eye. He finally huffs, crossing his arms. "Time for you all to leave."

"What about Pebble?" Hinata asks. He dares to bring the ankylosaurus to his chest, gazing down at the creature in adoration. It makes a funny noise at him, and Hinata thinks it means it likes him. His cheeks hurt from how wide he's smiling.

"Pebble?" Yamaguchi asks with a raised eyebrow.

"He's just so tiny and the smaller bump on his head looks like a little pebble and I thought-"

But suddenly, the dinosaur is snatched from his grip. Hinata growls, his eyes narrowing as he sees Suguro examining the baby closely. He holds it in a firm grip, the ankylosaurus' back pressed against his palm and its legs flailing about.

"The asset will soon be released into a heard of ankylosaurs," he says without looking at anyone else. "Then it will be their problem. Just as you all will cease to be my problem when you leave." His voice drops at the end, but Hinata has eyes only for the dinosaur fighting for escape.

"Alright everyone, hit the road, let's go!" Ukai announces suddenly, ushering the teenagers toward the door. Suguro's gaze never leaves them as they hurry to the exit. Hinata looks back at baby dinosaur as doors close behind him, a tight feeling in his chest that feels like it's squeezing his lungs. The boy can easily call it heartbreak; he's never been in a real relationship before, but the baby ankylosaurus left such an impression that he's unusually quiet as they all load up into the truck. Nishinoya senses his mood and nudges his arm gently with his own, cocking his head in a silent question. Hinata shakes his head in responds as the jeep rumbles to life beneath them. Sugawara casts him a pitying glance.

"Cheer up Hinata!" He says softly, offering the younger boy a supportive look. When Hinata splays his arms out to his sides, suspending them in air, Sugawara raises an eyebrow, preparing to continue when Hinata slaps his own cheeks. The other teenagers stare at him, as he brings his hands away from his now-red face with a determined glint in his eye.

"Okay!" He says, nodding firmly. Yamaguchi clears his throat and opens his mouth, as if hesitant to speak.

"Did you just... slap yourself?" He asks slowly. Hinata nods, frowning in confusion at the appalled looks he's receiving.

"You're weird," Kageyama says, sipping absently at a box of milk that had come from nowhere. Hinata stares at him with his mouth hanging open.

"I'm weird? You're weird!" He cries indignantly.

"Both of you!" Nishinoya interrupts, using both of his hands to point at the two simultaneously. "Are you two a couple of weirdos?!"

"Huh? Weirdos?" They exchange a look. Hinata speaks first. "Are we?"

"I don't know." Kageyama mutters, actually giving it some thought.

Tsukishima snickers.

It's not until Hinata finally looks around him that he realizes the trail they're driving along isn't one he's familiar with. _Are we not driving back to the clubhouse?_ The boy points this out to his companions, gesturing to the thinning trees that reveal what looks like a vast field.

"Hey guys? This isn't the way we took to get to the lab, is it?" He questions, glancing all around. No one has a chance to respond before there is a loud response.

"Woah, no way!" Nishinoya cries, practically leaping up to stand in the jeep. "I may not have the intimate knowledge on this place that you have, Hinata, but I know that this field is where some herbivores roam!" He says, steadying his stance by grabbing the top of the main part of the vehicle.

"Really?" Hinata squeals, also leaping to his feet. Kageyama growls at him as the bright boy scrambles over him to stand next to Nishinoya. "Herbivores like brachiosaurus and the stegosaurus and triceratops and _oh my gosh will we see any diplodocus?_ "

"That last one can't be real, you made that up," Kageyama fires off uncertainly, mouthing the name to himself.

"No no, all of those species are herbivores, the only eat plants!" Hinata explains, leaning his weight from one foot to the other in a stationary dance. The irritation from the taller teen's doubt doesn't even reach him. "You've heard of the brachiosaurus, right? That's the one with the really long neck that eats from the tops of trees and stuff. There are lots of herbivore dinosaurs that like to live in fields!"

"Sounds like you know your stuff." Sugawara speaks while he surveys the group's surroundings. Hinata feels the smile on his face turn wistful.

"Yeah," is all he offers, quieting down for a moment. He gets lost in his mind for a moment, memories flashing through his mind unbidden of late nights researching, of a house filled with laughter while documentaries play in the back. Activities the whole family shared before their house became quiet.

The jeep eventually slows to a stop, just short of the top of an incline in the road. The trees blocking the field from sight are nonexistent now, and Takeda and Ukai don't bother to move the vehicle off the road as they turn it off. The two exit and gesture for the teenagers to follow them as they move to walk up the road. Hinata easily leaps over the side and jogs to catch up. The others cast confused looks around before following, but Shouyou only has eyes for the two men moving to the peak of the road ahead.

"Hey, uh, Ukai?" He asks, his eyes finally straying to the field to their right. "Takeda? Are we not going back to the base?"

Ukai shrugs his shoulders, flashing a smirk over his shoulder.

"Sure we are."

"But, uh... this isn't... base?"

"Observant of you." Tsukishima snarks. Hinata turns to face the blond while walking backwards. He sticks his tongue out at him, muttering to himself about _rude tall people jeez_ before turning around to catch up to the two counselors. They've stopped at a point along the road, and Takeda is staring off at something while Ukai winks at the group over his shoulder. Hinata feels his heartbeat quickening in his chest as he realizes where they are. He sprints forward, feet _thump thump thump_ ing on the ground, nothing to slow him from reaching his goal. The urge to get there, _reach just a few more steps-_ is overwhelming. He barely manages to slide to a stop beside Takeda.

And what a sight he sees.

They're everywhere. Dozens of species, littering the fields that stretch far into the distance. Trees dot the lush landscape, some being fed on by the impossibly tall figures of a brachiosaurus. Hinata's heart soars when he sees adult ankylosauruses wandering the fields, not in any hurry to get to where their going. None of the creatures are close, but even from this distance their steps send trembles through the earth. The magnificence of the creatures is unrivaled by anything Shouyou has ever seen.

"You have to breathe Shouyou," Nishinoya's voice reaches him from beyond his bubble of awe, and the boy distantly sucks in a huge breath. The sudden change in his throat makes him choke, and he doubles over in a coughing fit. A hand sets itself on his back, patting him gently. It's over as soon as it started, and Hinata straightens abruptly, his fists clenched near his chest.

"Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god this is the grazing field, the biggest one at the center of that park where all the herbivores share the space because they don't eat each other and I know there are other fields too but this one is where the has more than the others! And the park is so further south from this that they don't even get to see these guys all natural like this but we _do_ and-!"

"Glad you like it, little red," Ukai cuts the rambling off, smiling indulgently at the boy. Said teen has literal stars in his eyes, his jaw opening and closing as he tries to speak some more. No words come to him. "Just thought we'd give you a preview of what you guys'll be seeing."

They end up spending a while there, lounging in the grass by the road and watching the dinosaurs roam freely. Hinata's eyes bounce from one species to the next, taking in their features and letting the realness of the situation settle into his bones. There are small conversations here and there, mostly about the majestic creatures they are watching. Hours pass before they decide to head back to the treehouse.

"This is so awesome," Hinata whispers. His body suddenly feels very heavy, and many emotions hit him at once as the group moves back to the truck. He's _always_ wanted to come here, ever since his dad had turned him on to his fascination with Jurassic World when he was little. He can't believe he's actually living here, on an island full of creatures that went extinct millions of years ago. Hinata is beginning to feel tears behind his eyes, but he presses his palms to his eyes to keep them at bay. The teenagers settle in the jack of the jeep, and are off in no time.

The ride back is silent, and Shouyou opts to keep his hands on his face for the ride. His chest hurts.

The others are silent, perhaps because they don't feel comfortable enough to banter with people they barely consider friends. Kageyama privately thinks Hinata doesn't have the same reservations as the rest of them.

Hinata doesn't know how far the main grazing grounds are from the camp in real life, he can only visualize the map he had memorized. The distance reference that was given on the paper was something the teen didn't really pay attention to, to enamored by the subject of the trip to pay it any mind. He forces his mind to focus on counting the minutes before they arrive back at camp, and it helps him calm down. When he removes his hands from his face, his eyes are red only from the pressure he'd bee applying to them earlier- the boy kept the tears at bay, in the end. The jeep slows to a stop.

When everyone gathers around in a loose semi-circle, Hinata can't keep the soft smile off his lips. Ukai taps his chin while he and Takeda converse quietly. Eventually, they approach the campers and Ukai takes the lead.

"So, it'll probably be a while before we get to the next activity," the blond man says somewhat apologetically. "Takeda and I got some things to prepare for the rest of the day and for you guys, too. So for now, why don't you head up and take some time to relax. Takeda and I will be up in a bit."

Hinata catches the short glance that Tsukishima and Yamaguchi share, and they're the first two that nod to the counselors before turning and ascending the ladder. Sugawara and Nishinoya are chattering contentedly while they follow, trailed by Kageyama after he shoots an unreadable glance at Hinata. The ginger decides to stay and talk to Ukai, while Takeda moves to open the passenger side of the jeep. Ukai raises an eyebrow at Hinata, while the teen fidgets in place.

"Th-Thank you." The teen finally speaks up, gazing up at Ukai. "Seeing the grazing field was amazing." The older man offers a kind smile at the teen, ruffling his hair affectionately. Hinata's heart clenches when the action reminds him of how his father used to do it.

"No problem, kid. You guys are a bit older than the original age group the boss was going for when he set this whole thing up." Ukai continues, a weird glint in his eye that deepens their color and makes them shine almost sinisterly. The look makes Hinata want to slide slightly away from him. "That means you'll get to see a lot more, and I plan to deliver on that."

"More dinosaurs?" Hinata's weird vibe about the guy is forgotten as the teen leans right up in the counselor's personal space. "Like, bigger ones? Oh oh, will we get to see the carnivores?!" He asks excitedly. The man leans back from the excitable boy, moving his hand from the boy's head to his shoulder.

"Take it easy champ. You'll get to see all of the above and more."

"Hey, Ukai?" Takeda calls from the truck. Hinata turns, as does Ukai, to face the other male. He holds some sort of device in his hands. Hinata thinks it looks a bit like a radio, but he can't be sure– it's too bulky to be a phone, but it doesn't have the little antenna other radios do. "Did you finish the paperwork for that first assignment we had this morning?" He asks out of the blue. Hinata doesn't really understand what he's asking, but in front of him Ukai cocks his hip and sighs.

"Yeah, I did. Are they saying it wasn't right or something?" The question from the counselor has a bite to it, as if he's being standoff-ish. Hinata blinks.

"What about the second?" Takeda asks suddenly, staring at Ukai. "The Code Purple?" Hinata can see his expression clearly, and there's something about his eyes that have changed. They seem... sharper. Ukai doesn't respond right away and Hinata can't see his expression, but the man takes a minute to answer. Nothing about his posture changes, but the teenager does notice a new tone to his voice.

"I guess not, if they're calling about it." His response is clipped. He turns abruptly to face Hinata again, who startles at the sudden attention. "Why don't you go and join the others, Hinata– looks like Takeda and I might be held up a bit longer than we expected to be. Just... don't leave the treehouse, yeah? Stay up there until we get back."

Hesitantly, and with a short glance towards Takeda, Hinata nods, frowning slightly. He starts forward toward the ladder, and his grip around each rung a little too tight. Sending one last look to where Ukai stands now by Takeda's side, the orange-haired teen moves up into the clubhouse.

_That was odd_.

Shouyou thinks about the strange interaction between the two counselors for the next two hours, only being distracted when Kageyama challenges him to a short ping-pong game. It quickly turns into a group event, with Suga playing referee and Nishinoya egging on both parties with comedic remarks. Tsukishima occasionally jumps in with a comment of his own, each seeming to get under Kageyama's skin. Yamaguchi seems to be the only one who's cheering on both sides when someone gets s good point. Hinata's competitive nature doesn't allow him to be distracted from the taller male for even a moment- he's going to _win dammit!_

The group gets a call over the radio in the middle of the impromptu match. Hinata has one point over on Kageyama, but everyone stops at the foreign sound.

" _Counselors to campers, you guys near the radio?_ " Hinata locates the source of the crackle before anyone else, and frowns as he grabs the device. It's a lot more slim than the one Takeda had been holding earlier. It's shape reminds Hinata of a smartphone, almost, with a rectangular screen that's lit up with a soft green glow. A few numbers and bars are displayed on the screen, and a small button in the shape of a square rests in the center of the space not taken up by the screen, toward the bottom. The boy thumbs over the square, feeling it give beneath his finger. He pushes the button while speaking into the device.

"Ukai?" He asks uncertainly, not quite sure if what he had heard was intentional or not. The radio stays silent for a second before another voice answers.

" _Hinata!_ " Takeda cheers. The others gather around the short teen holding the radio. They all exchange confused glances. " _Sorry we didn't tell you about the radio to begin with, it kind of slipped my mind_."

"It's- um, it's okay." Hinata says, pressing the button once again. From over his shoulder, Nishinoya points to the button, indicating for him to press it so he can speak.

"Just a fair warning, might want to remember something that important, Takeda," he jests, though Hinata does know he's being serious.

" _Sorry, sorry,_ " comes the sheepish reply. " _Anyway, Ukai and I got caught up at the office and it looks like we'll be stuck here for the rest of today_."

Hinata deflates a little at the news.

" _Corporate's being a bit- OW! Fine, Takeda, corporate's being difficult, is that better?_ " Ukai rumbles, displeasure making his voice deeper. " _We'll make it up to you guys tomorrow, but until then promise you won't leave the treehouse_." The group falls into silence, and Hinata glances up to catch the tail-end of a confused glance between Sugawara and Kageyama. He remembers that Ukai told him to stay at the base before leaving with Takeda.

"He said that earlier, too." Hinata offers to everyone, furrowing his brows in confusion. "I thought it was weird because, well, I didn't plan of leaving without them anyway?" This time it's Kageyama who reaches forward to press the button as he answers.

"We won't leave," he reassures.

" _Great, great_." Ukai says quicky in response. " _All the personnel radios on the island are set to channel 6, so if you need to reach us, that's the channel to go through_."

" _You just have to make sure that the largest number on the screen is labeled 6,_ " Takeda says next, " _if it's a real emergency, and I mean a real emergency, change it to channel 14. Ukai and I keep the jeep's radio on channel 14 at all times since no one else uses it, so think of it as a backup to channel 6. Oh, and the radio is solar powered, so make sure it gets some sunlight before nighttime!_ "

"Got it," Sugawara says through the device.

" _Alright kids, I bet you'll stay occupied just fine on your own, but don't go getting into any trouble! Over and out_."

Hinata blinks at the abrupt departure, frowning thoughtfully. _Does this have anything to do with what Takeda said earlier?_ The ping-pong game was enough to take his mind off the counselor's weird wording, but now Hinata can't stop replaying it in his head. He sets the radio down on the low table that's set in the middle of the room, leaving the volume up just in case Ukai or Takeda need to talk to them again. The others disperse, and Hinata is too distracted to jump back into the game he and Kageyama had been playing.

Later that afternoon, Hinata turns to Nishinoya as everyone sits around the bar. The glass doors that lead out onto the terrace are open, and the sun hasn't yet set, leaving it the perfect temperature in the open space,.

"Hey, Nishinoya?" He asks hesitantly, trying not to draw the attention of the others. Said boy turns to him, cocking his head in question. "Do you know what a code purple is?" He asks. Nishinoya's eyes widen.

"Where did you hear that?!" He cries loudly. Hinata winces at the shout directly in his ear, and he grins sheepishly when four other pairs of eyes turn his way.

"I-I heard it from Takeda?" He says, the statement sounding like a question. "Before they took off, Takeda mentioned something about a 'second code purple' to Ukai. I can't be too sure, but... Ukai seemed a bit shaken by it."

"A second one?" Nishinoya mutters, frowning in a rare moment of seriousness.

( _Hinata doesn't know that he'll miss this time, when Nishinoya's moments of seriousness were rare and not a constant_.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, Nishinoya shares some of what he saw at the Genetics Lab with Hinata, there's a nighttime expedition, and a stampede nearly gets Kageyama and Hinata to work together (but not quite)!

**Author's Note:**

> This idea’s been bouncing around in my head for weeks now and I just had to get something out on it. Other characters will be introduced, don’t worry, but these guys are the starting lineup. Also, future chapters won’t have as many line breaks as this chapter does
> 
> Inconsistent updates because Ao3 is _difficult_ to work. Hope you like it.
> 
> Happy reading!


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